By Akshay Kripalani Staff writer
Indoor track season has arrived once again on the Susquehanna campus.
Both the men’s and women’s indoor track teams had fantastic seasons last year. Both teams made it to the Landmark Conference finals where the teams finished in second place.
Both teams fell to Moravian in the championship. The Greyhounds have dominated the Landmark Conference over the past decade.
Head Coach Marty Owens, who works with both teams, is very enthusiastic about the upcoming season.
“The coaching staff goes into the season with guarded optimism regarding expectations,” he said. “Despite the graduation of a few key scorers for the teams, we return a solid number of athletes who could place on the podium in their respective events.”
“We have a lot of talented newcomers who will add some depth to the squad.” Owens added.
“While our expectations are always to challenge for a conference title, the coaching staff understands that it will take the early part of the competitive season to develop the younger athletes into the rigors of collegiate track & field,” he continued. “We have 12 weeks till the Landmark Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships and that is our main focus. The key word for the team is patience.”
Senior sprinter Armond Owens also felt optimistic about the upcoming season.
“I think that this season will go very well as long as we can all remain healthy,” he said. “We have all been training very hard since August and I think that will be reflective in our performances this year.”
Armond Owens added, “I expect to see us exactly where we want to be later in the season.”
Senior distance runner Emily Leboffe said, “In terms of our women’s distance team, I think we are looking toward a really strong indoor and outdoor season.”
“We are coming off one of our best cross-country seasons, where multiple girls set new [personal records] and we have improved our ability to stay mentally tough during races,” Leboffe continued. “I think this is a great spot to be transitioning into the new track season, along with our sprinting and field groups.”
“Personally, I hope to stay healthy for this track season and work towards a new [5 kilometer personal record].”
Both teams start their indoor season on Dec. 3 at home in the River Hawk Opener.